Kelley's Theory of Causal Attribution

Chapter Chapter

PERCEPTION AND LEARNING:
UNDERSTANDING AND ADAPTING TO THE WORK ENVIRONMENT

Perception - we select, organize, & interpret information - active processing of sensory inputs - very subjective Social Perception - the process of combining, integrating, and interpreting information about others to gain an accurate understanding of them Personal and Social Identity

Attribution -determine the causes behind others’ behavior Correspondent Inferences - judging people’s dispositions, traits, and characteristics from their behavior Challenges in judging others accurately - many possible causes of behavior - people sometimes disguise their true characteristics Making accurate inferences about others - focus on behavior in situations with low demand for social acceptability - focus on behavior for which there is only one logical explanation

Causal Attribution of Responsibility Internal causes of behavior -the individual is responsible for the action External causes of behavior - actions are due to situations over which the individual has no control Kelly’s theory of causal attribution: Consensus - extent to which other people behave in the same manner as the person who we’re judging Consistency - extent to which the person who we’re judging acts the same way at other times Distinctiveness - extent to which a person behaves in the same manner in other contexts

Kelly’s Theory of Causal Attribution: A Summary

You observe an individual complaining about the food, service, and decor in a restaurant. To answer “Why?” you note that...

You conclude that...

No one else complains (consensus is low)

This person always complains in this restaurant (consistency is high)

This person also complains in other settings (distinctiveness is low)

S/he complained because s/he is difficult to please (internal attribution)

Several others also complain (consensus is high)

This person always complains in this restaurant (consistency is high)

This person does not complain